1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-type air conditioners, and more particularly, to a defrosting device for removal of frost formed during heating operation from an outdoor heat exchanger, and a multi-type air conditioner with the defrosting device.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, the air conditioner, an appliance for cooling or heating room spaces, such as living spaces, restaurants, and offices, cools or heats the room space by circulating refrigerant with a compressor and heat exchangers.
The air conditioner succeeds to development of a multi-type air conditioner which can cool or heat rooms at the same time without being influenced from an external temperature or environment for maintaining more comfortable room environments, resulting to cool or heat entire rooms under the same operation mode.
A related art multi-type air conditioner is provided with one or more than one outdoor unit connected to a plurality of indoor units installed in respective rooms, and operative only in one mode of cooling or heating for controlling room temperatures.
However, nowadays, as the room space becomes larger, a room structure becomes complex, and positions and services of rooms are diversified, room environments of the rooms differ from one another. Particularly, a room equipped with machinery or computer has a room temperature higher than other rooms due to heat from operation of the equipment.
Consequently, as some of the rooms require cooling, while other rooms require heating, the related art multi-type air conditioner can not deal with.
Moreover, in a case the multi-type air conditioner is operated in a heating mode, frost is formed on the outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit caused by cooled down environmental air, which drops an air conditioning efficiency of the air conditioner. Since it is required to shift to the operation mode to cooling for removing the frost from the outdoor heat exchanger, no heating is available during a defrosting operation.
According to above requirement, development of a multi-type air conditioner of concurrent cooling and heating type is required.
For improving the air conditioning efficiency of the air conditioner, development of a multi-type air conditioner with a defrosting device for removal of frost formed during heating operation from the outdoor heat exchanger.